To feel weird about sort of liking doing Elf on the shelf

[Ohdearwhatcanthematterbethen]

Do you like doing it, if you do it?

Part of me thinks, oh ffs, then the other half of me gets excited like a cheesy kid. I don’t post anything about it as feel embarrassed as most people slag it off
I feel we’re not really allowed to admit we might like doing these kinds of things for our kids

I think its fine if you enjoy it! Wish I was organised enough to remember doing it every night because I know my two would love it. I don't think anyone should make you feel embarrassed for doing something fun for your children- they'll remember it fondly when they are older ❤️

I did a version of it when my DC were younger, and both they and I enjoyed it. They still talk about elf now, as teenagers - it is a fun Christmas memory for them. Ours just hid round the house, though, I didn't do the naughty activities stuff, nor did it have any connotations of "Santa is watching you".

I'm the Grinch usually...
But I bloody love elf on the shelf. My 2 are five and three now and I've done it the past 2 years and loved all but one day. The kids faces when they find them is great.
The one day I didn't enjoy was when my eldest hid them and we spent 2 hours looking for them.

I ll probably get piled on for this but my two are 15 and 17 and I still do it. I m not on social media so I don’t share it. They just enjoy it and I have always liked doing it, so why not?

I don’t post anything about it as feel embarrassed as most people slag it off

I couldn't give a shiny shite what others think of the things I like, let alone anonymous internet posters 😳

It wasn't a thing when mine were younger (now 18 and 19) but I know without a doubt I would have done it and loved it!

Oh I LOVED seeing their faces in the morning. We never used elves/santa as a monitor for behaviour though it was just fun. I had quite a tough childhood & I think it made me want to go all out for my kids, not materialistically but just the little things that were magical. I don't have any believers now for the first year ever & I'm sad about it. Keep doing the things that bring you all joy.

People love to rant about anything and everything and it being American probably doesn’t help. I also don’t use it to monitor, enjoy finding new things for the elf to do, keep it off social media, and my kids love it. It’s magic for them and they’re only little.

We don’t have the elves watching them or making them behave etc, not keen on that, they just do something silly ready for every morning

Love it. Just do it for fun, don't spend money on it or do really mad stuff.

This is our last year or 2nd last year with a believer, so going to make more of an effort!

I love it! I have a tab on my phone year round that I update when I think of things the elf could do! 🥰

Apologies for the ignorant question.

What is the elf on the shelf tradition ? My LO is 3 and I'd love to do something for Christmas. I'm of an Asian descent and therefore not aware about Christmas traditions.

Thanks

You buy an elf (looks like a long skinny doll dressed in Christmas clothes) then each morning of December you move the elf somewhere so your child thinks it's moving around the house while they're asleep.

Some people tell the kids the elf is watching to tell Santa if they are naughty or nice.

Another simpler Christmas countdown tradition you could try is an advent calendar!

@melchim thank you. That's amazing. I'll definitely try.

I have seen advent calendars around and even bought one with different whiskeys for DH last year. Been in the UK around 5 years so learning new things every day.
MN has been very helpful and very informative ever since I had my DC.

We don't have a traditional elf but we've been 'elfing' since my daughter was 4, she's now 23 🤣
We thought about stopping a few years ago when she headed to uni (our son was 15) and there was absolute outcry in the house.
So we are still 'elfing' and we enjoy it - as they're older you get away with doing either more - moving their cars around the drive or less- leaving the elves with the vodka bottle but it's still a lovely fun part of Christmas for us
So enjoy it on your terms 🎄

You're welcome! I have lived overseas myself and it is fun to explore different traditions from your new home that your family can enjoy.

No shame here - I absolutely love the elf! I keep little notes of things they can do, and I’ve bought a few little things for them as well - I find it more fun to buy little doll sets rather than stuff specifically elf branded

I like it. Ive done it since DD was around 3, she 9 now so only a year or two left I think. I dont post about it either on socials, it’s not really my thing but I always enjoy looking at other peoples.

I love the elf!! My kids are still small (8 and 6) and they are more excited for the elf coming than Santa! I think we’ll probably keep going after they know the truth about Santa etc, it’s a good laugh 😊

We do one, I don't post about it. It is a bit of a faff to remember every night but I know I'd have loved it when I was a kid.

I used to love doing it for my daughter when she was younger but I used to go way over the top lol I covered the laminate flooring in the front room with cling film one night and got a shit load of that fake snow and made a right bloody mess haha it was everywhere and the elf was happily playing in it, another time he was making cakes and there was smashed eggs and flour everywhere so another massive mess and I always used to say to my daughter on the way downstairs "urgh I hope that elf hasn't been too naughty" then act really annoyed with all the mess and it used to make my daughter laugh so much haha

Meh you do you!!

I do not partake, which surprises most people as I am very imaginative and play a lot with my kids. We have a pet dragon under the bed (he's invisible but doesn't like people jumping on his roof) who has been known to leave the kids notes (in dragon language, which we had to decipher) and also singe papers left on the floor. There are pesky fairies who visit now and again and do things I would not condone, like put sprinkles on the Weetabix or glitter (eco friendly before anyone gets cross) in the toothpaste! My kids toys also regularly move about the place. Once my son's teddy read a whole book whilst we were getting ready for bed. DS kept popping back to check and was astounded that the pages were changing (also made me realise how unobservant that kid is as he was in the room nearly the whole time and didn't seem to see it was me turning the pages 😂) It's a bit of whimsy, and a lot of fun to see the reactions.

If it brings you joy then I say go for it with as much gusto as you have energy for!! Childhood is fleeting, no harm in making it a bit magic. But also if you don't then that's fine too!

We are ours is very silly DS finds it hilarious

I've never done it before, as DD was too young. She's 3 now so I'm planning on it this year - but thinking to do it so he's just playing with one of her toys each morning (so having a picnic with her teddies, doing a jigsaw puzzle etc) rather than anything that involves anything messy or naughty (basically very low effort).